Stage 3 water restrictions are returning to parts of the Comox Valley Thursday as severely dry conditions force BC Hydro to reduce flows in the Puntledge River.
The Comox Valley Regional District says the restrictions will take effect Oct. 8 for properties connected to the Comox Valley Water System, including those in Courtenay, Comox, K’ómoks First Nation and the Comox Valley Water Local Service Area.
The move comes as BC Hydro prepares to reduce the Puntledge River flow rate from around 11.3 cubic metres per second to nine cubic metres per second in an effort to conserve water in the Comox Lake Reservoir.
BC Hydro says inflows into the reservoir since mid-May are the lowest recorded in 64 years of record-keeping.
The reservoir peaked at 134.4 metres in mid-May and has steadily declined over the months to about 131.5 metres.
BC Hydro considers the reservoir full at around 135.3 metres. Once the level falls below 131 metres, BC Hydro says it becomes constrained in how much water can naturally pass from the lake toward Comox Dam.
Inflows into Comox Lake have averaged just 3.5 cubic metres per second over the past four weeks and BC Hydro says it may have to reduce Puntledge River flows even more, to as low as 7.5 cubic metres per second, if dry conditions continue.
“By reducing flows, we lessen the rate of decline in the reservoir water level and increase confidence that we can continue to supplement natural lake outflow through early November,” BC Hydro said in a news release Wednesday.
The CVRD says this will be the second time the region has moved to Stage 3 restrictions this year.
In June, the CVRD announced it was moving to Stage 3 — the earliest it has ever upgraded to that level in any year.
They were then eased in early September, after BC Hydro increased river flows following rainfall and more typical fall conditions.
But since then, precipitation has declined and updated forecasts suggest dry conditions could continue through October.
“We hope residents were able to give their gardens a much-needed reprieve over the past month, but we now ask the community to once again reduce water usage to protect our water supply,” said Kris La Rose, the CVRD’s general manager of engineering services.
“We recognize that these restrictions may cause inconvenience, and we sincerely appreciate the community’s ongoing efforts and continued cooperation to conserve water as we experience a drier-than-average fall.”
Under Stage 3 restrictions, all lawn watering is prohibited, along with pressure washing driveways and boulevards, filling swimming pools, hot tubs or garden ponds and washing vehicles or boats outside of commercial car washes or dealerships.
Residents can continue watering trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables at any time using a hand-held container, a hose with an automatic shut-off nozzle or micro- and drip-irrigation systems.
The CVRD says bylaw officers will be conducting patrols and tickets can be issued to people who don’t comply with the restrictions.
The CVRD says it could move restrictions to Stage 4 if BC Hydro takes what it says would be the unprecedented step of reducing Puntledge River flows below 5.7 cubic metres per second.
The district is urging residents and businesses to significantly reduce their water consumption under Stage 3 in hopes of avoiding further restrictions if below-average rainfall persists into November.
Jeff Lawrence
Jeff Lawrence is a Digital News Editor for CHEKNews.ca.
After graduating from Langara College's journalism program in 2009, Jeff worked as a digital producer at CTV Vancouver and CTV Vancouver Island... More by Jeff Lawrence
